The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1887-02-24

between his fOrepaws, he scratched the
tree about two feet higher than the
point scratched by the largest bear.
Then he threw the pole into the canon,
and sat down in the trail and rubbed
his nose with his paw. That bear act
ually laughed. Finally he walked up
the trail and disappeared.
What the large bears did when they
returned to the tree and saw the mark
away above theirs / do not know, as |
was not there, but do know that /
never saw them in that region again,
and it is fair to assume that the little
bear which | frequently saw after
ward, had frightened them out Of the
mountains by making them believe that
the boss of all the grizzlies was loung-
ing around that portion OF the range"
Pratt ceased to talk, and looked in
gu rinoly at me. | promptly expressed
my astonishment at the sagaclty dis
PLAYED by the small. one-eared black
bear. Pratt smoked steadily and look
cd at me approvingly, as though to say:
Here is hunting comrade for yor. /
have at last found man who believes
that true story
So pleased was he that he refilled his
pipe, lighted it with a coal, raised his
eyebrows inquiringy and murmured,
''Beezlegum?
shook my head negatively and said
smilingly, Bears
Pratt took his pipe from his mouth,
laid it on his knees, and, bending for
ward little, said earnestly: Il will
tell you two true stories about grizzly
bears. Now, understand, | mean the
real Sierra Nevada grizzly, not this
bastard Rocky mounta II bear, but bears
that weigh 1.200 pounds, and that will
fight as long as they can stand. In
1855 was in California. The party |
belonged TO was washing golden gravel
among the foothills around the head of
Dead Mans Gulch. The water failed
early in the fall, and my party decided
to enjoy life hunting jack rabbits for a
few days before we went on prospect
ing trip into the highlands. We knew
where the little animals were plentiful.
We loaded our pack animals with blan-
kets and provisions and kegs-nice five
gallon kegs-and started on the frolic.
That afternoon we passed bit of
ground where jack rabbit signs were
plent ful. We camped about half q
m lie beyond, at the bank of creek.
saw that my comrades were asleep.
detern ned to kill mess of jack rab-
bits for breakfast. slipped on my
boots, grasped a shot gun and left
camp. When / arrived at the rabbit
ground l sat under Il large smooth
trunked tree to wait for rabbits to come
out to be shot. 1t was gray light. and
could not see plainly in the brush
which stood quite thick on the ground.
Presently l saw what l thought was
rabbit sitting under some high bushes
about forty yards from me. l blazed at
it with both barrels, and was terror
stricken to see an enormous and eX-
ceedingly angry grizzly bear break out
of the bushes. He sat up and shook
his left paw as though it itched or
smarted. When he broke cover
sprang behind the tree, threw my gun
on the ground, and began to climb. Be-
fore the bear saw me was out of his
reach. He rushed to the tree, stood up.
and tried to get hold of me. How
loudly he grunted l got on limb
and sat there quite comfortable and
abused the bear. He was greatly ex-
cited. He broke my gun. he tore great
pieces of bark from the tree, and loudly
grunted his desire to kill me. Then he
sat down to starve me out. Presently
| hear voices singing a Spanish love
song, and quick-moving and spurred
heels beat out an accompaniment to
the song. Looking toward the trail
saw three MeSicans riding past. |
called to them to aid me. They yelled
at the bear. and he walked off. The
Mexicans helped me out of the tree,
and accompanied me to camp. l told
my story. and was laughed at. After
breakfast my comrades and l went to
the place where | met the bear, but he
had gone away. One of my comrades,
aptly named Thomas, looked attentive
ly at the tree 1 had taken refuge in,
and said:
"'This is the tree you were in. is it,?
"'Yes, replied.
80 don't believe that you were in
that tree he said, and [ will bet you a
slug (5o) that you cannot climb into
it.
Il took that bet and lost it. After
several attempts to climb it l took off
my boots and coat and made one last
and desperate effort 1t was in vain.
l might as well have tried to climb the
smokestack of a steamboat. | lost my
gun, lost my hunt. lost a slug, and
came near to losing my reputation for
would have lost it if the
Mexicans had not asserted that they
had found me in the tree. That ended
my bear-huntng for years.
THE next bear saw said Pratt af-
Tow. -,
killing me, and the narrow escape
made gave me distaste for bear hunt
ing for sport. One day in the fall of go,
my comrade and | thought we had
earned rest, and we dec ded to 60 bear
hunting We loaded pack animal.
took our rifles. and started for the hills.
Neither of us had ever shot a grizzly
bear We knew that they were danger
Gus animals to fool with, but that was
all we knew. The next afternoon we
got into what we thought was likely |
bear country. us there were plenty of
bear signs. We made our camp. and
the following morning started on foot
into the hills. Presently we came to a
point of chapparal, which stretched hor-
izontally along steep hillside. Below
it was narrow brush-covered valley,
on the other side of which was another
steep, chapparal covered thicket,
through VIII ch no man can force his
way. We decided to separate. one walk
ing above the thicket. the other to walk |
along its lower edge. The hillside was
rough, steep and boulder-strewn. AT
ter walking about a quarter of mile l
saw we'll beaten bear trail. which led
into the chapparal, which was about
fifty yards wide at this point. The
bear trail formed tunnel through the
chapparal, kneeled down and looked
through the tunnel and saw the valley
close below. I stepped back up the
hill to overlook the thcket to see my
companion. could not sec him. but
called to him, telling of the tunn Ell.